Special
Producers of skirting boards with integrated LED lights
ALL SKIRTING BOARDS CAN GIVE LIGHT TO SEE OR TO BE SEEN - THAT’S THE QUESTION
Photo –FN Neuhofer
Skirting board and profile manufacturers are collectively playing the ‘ illuminated skirting board’ card. This has been going on for a few years and anyone who faithfully attends Domotex each year could hardly have missed it this time. Some things are the result of the technical possibilities offered by LED technology, which, for instance, makes it possible to integrate lights into the skirting board with little mounting height. Those who don’t produce illuminated skirting boards find an excellent alternative in the much discussed LED strips, which can be fitted to just about all skirting boards or profiles.
Safety or design? It often happens that techniques, products, or systems are developed for a practical/technical purpose, but they gradually attract the attention of designers and architects due to their decorative look. Actually, that applies just as well to ‘cross-cut wooden floors’, which are covered extensively elsewhere in this edition. They, too, were designed initially as workhouse floors, but now they are part of the world of top class design. With LED, lots of developments started in the area of ‘safety’.
Evacuation lighting: MILS The MILS system has been developed as ‘low location evacuation lighting’, as required on cruise ships and in air travel. In this application the MILS strip is put on the floor in gangways, for instance. The system offers an advanced solution for the creation of evacuation direction lighting in tunnels and buildings. When the lights are switched on, they indicate the evacuation route and by means of a running light they give
34
Floor Forum International 108
the recommended direction to the fire exit or exits. This system consists of a flexible strap of about 22 x 2mm with integrated LED lights at average intervals of 40mm, with good visibility. The MILS strip can be supplied from two sides to guarantee functionality in the event of a power failure. A smart power management means that the direction to be followed is indicated for each strip segment. This can even be adapted, depending on the place of the disaster. It can also be combined with emergency lighting and fire exit lights for full management of evacuation routes.
Built-in sphere lights By now, we are well aware of the safety aspect of illuminated skirting boards and staircase steps. An extra benefit is the fact that such lights can also provide sphere and solemnity. Staircases can be fitted step by step with sidelights and even floorboards (both indoors and on terraces) can be illuminated with built-in fixtures. That possibility exists because the relevant fixtures are extremely thin, so you don’t need much built-in depth. In this way illuminated skirting boards are sold by a number of skirting board manufacturers with built-in fixtures, but the job doesn’t require any particularly special skills, so parquet fitters could fit the lights themselves.
LED strips – it’s all possible! An alternative to built-in spots (or spots to be built in) can be found in the LED strips which have emerged recently on the market. A major argument which pleads for these strips is the fact that they can be applied universally. These strips with the accompanying diffusers provide an even light beam in white or colour (RGB). Since everything
